The present invention relates to food products having a reduced fat content. The consumption of fats in manufactured food products, especially in western-type developed countries is generally considered to be excessive. This high fat consumption has been linked to several diseases including atherosclerosis. Several health organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association have recommended that fat consumption should be reduced to no more than 30% of the ingested calories. However, the incorporation of fats into manufactured food products provides the consumer with a sensation of creaminess or richness associated with high quality foods, so that reducing the fat content tends to a significant reduction in consumer acceptance. Foods which are normally rich in fat are baked goods (cakes, cookies and the like), dressings such as mayonnaise, whipped toppings, frostings, cream fillings, frozen desserts and spreads.
Attempts to reduce the fat contents of such food products have been partially successful through the use of such products as gums, milk and whey proteins and low D.E. maltodextrins. However, these ingredients yield products which are somewhat less creamy than their full-fat counterparts. Additionally, proposed solutions of the fat-replacement problem in the prior art have encountered various problems such as lack of stability of the product, and undue expense in production.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,294 (Rispoli et al) discloses a multistep process for preparing an oil replacement composition which includes as essential ingredients protein (such as egg protein, soy protein, whey protein and casein), cellulose gum, acid and an acid stable modified starch, in specified proportions. The composition is used in French dressing, margarine and imitation ice cream.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,166 (Lenchin et al) utilizes as fat and/or oil substitutes in foodstuffs, converted gelling starches having a dextrose equivalent less than 5 and specified viscosity and gelling characteristics. The products appeared to be of particular utility in foodstuffs such as ice cream, mayonnaise and toppings, but attempts to incorporate them in margarine do not seem to have been markedly successful. Moreover, in absence of indications to the contrary, it would be expected that a starch-derived product would either undesirably increase the calorific value of the product, or at least, not decrease the calorific value in a desirable manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,287 discloses a proteinaceous, water-dispersible macrocolloid comprising substantially nonaggregated particles of denatured dairy whey protein, which is proposed for use as a fat substitute. The whey protein necessarily has in the dry state a mean diameter particle size distribution of 0.1-2.0 microns, with less than 2% of the particles exceeding 3.0 microns, the majority of the particles being substantially spheroidal, when viewed at about 800 power magnification under a standard light microscope. The product of this patent is used principally in mayonnaises and sandwich spreads. The main disadvantages of this product are the exacting particle size standards, which make for expense in the manufacturing process, and--since the particles coalesce during storage--its relatively short life.
It is evident that all of these prior art products find their main utility in foodstuffs which are not exposed to heat. Accordingly, a need exists for low-calorie fat substitutes which mimic the sensation experienced by the consumer of the creaminess or richness of foodstuffs containing the regular fat levels, which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which are stable for the life of the end-product. The term "fat substitutes" in the present context is intended to relate on the one hand to the partial or total replacement, in general, of fat or oil in a foodstuff containing a relatively high content of such ingredient, and on the other hand to provide a partial or substantially complete replacement for fat or oil in foodstuffs which are usually low in fat or oil content, so as to increase the creamy mouthfeel and hence the consumer acceptance of such foodstuffs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide food products containing a low-calorie fat substitute which mimics the sensation experienced by the consumer of the creaminess or richness of foodstuffs containing the regular fat levels.
A further object of the invention is to provide food products containing such fat substitutes which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which are stable for the life of the end-product.
Another object of the invention relates to the use of gelatin and particularly fish-derived gelatin as the fat substitute just referred to.
A particular object of the invention provides food products in which a low-calorie fat substitute is a high quality gelatin produced from fish skins by the low energy consuming process of patent application Ser. No. 07/338,595, which is referred to described hereinbelow.
A further object of the invention is to provide foodstuffs including a gelatin product which will be suitable for consumers who wish to avoid the bovine and/or porcine gelatins.
Another object of the invention is to provide a normally fat-containing manufactured food product, in which at least part of the fat content therein is replaced by gelatin in an amount which is less (even much less), weight for weight, than the fat being replaced.
Yet other objects of the invention will appear from the description which follows.